Laundry-machine.



G. J. SHIMER.

LAUNDRY MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 11:3.24, 1914.

1,123,408. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

9 "Hill I n l L'- J 5/7/17! wizzu A. 6M

UNITED STATES Pa1 am. QFFICE.

CALVIN J. SHIMER, 0F SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

LAUNDRY-MACHINE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN J. SIIIMER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sioux City,'in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laundry- Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to laundry machines.

The primary object of the invention is the construction of a machine wherein material may be cleansed and the cleansing fluid then forced therefrom without necessitating handling of the material either duringor between the operations.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device of this class whereby both cleansing and wringing are accomplished by centrifugal 'force.

A further object is the production of a' machine of this sort simple and inexpensive in construction yet thoroughly reliable in operation.

f A still further object of the invention is the production in a device of this class of improved transmission and controlling mechanism requiring the application of comparatively little power in operation.

With these and. several other objects in view, the invention, consisting in the con struction, combination and novel arrangement of parts, will be fully understood from the followingdescription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings which transverse section of the upright shaft with sliding disk associated, therewith; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the controlling means; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the transmission with portions broken away and shown in section.

Although Ihave illustrated the preferred 55 embodiment of the invention, I would not Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1914.

PatentedtI an. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 820,538.

be understood as bein limited tothe specific structure chosen for i ustration, for various modifications and alterations in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing, from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The lnventio'n contemplates, mechanism including a fluid-retaining casing inclosing a pervious member adapted to receive material to be cleansed. The latter member is normally submerged in the cleansing fluid in the lowerportion of the casing, in which position the c eansing process may el performed in {any preferred manner. I

Means are provided for raising and rapidly rotating thepervious member above the line of the clean'sin fluid, whereby the fluid is forced from t which will presently be made clear.

Referring, now, to the illustrations, 8 represents an outer'tub, preferably of sheetmetal and mounted upon legs, 9, the lower portion of each of which is connected with its opposite companion by a cross-member 10. I

Ilpon one of the cross-members is mounted a U-shaped. gear frame, 11, the arms of which are horizontally-disposed and have journaled for rotation therein an upright shaft, 12, disposed coaxially within the tub and encircled by a acking-gland, 13, between the head of w ich and a nut, 14, the bottom of the tub is firmly clamped. Intermediate the gland and a gland-nut, 15, en-

gaged thereon, is inserted suitable packing, 16, which prevents leakage around the shaft.

Any suitable transmission means may be employed to impartrotation to the shaft; but, inasmuch'as agradually changeable and reversible transmission is greatly to be preferred, I employ friction-disk mechanism consisting of a disk, 17, encirclin the upright shaft and movable longitudinally 10o thereof by means of a key, or feather. "18, (Fig. 5) traveling in a groove, 19, in the shaft.

A- shifting-head, 20, is slidably-mounted upon an upright guide-rod, 21, supported 105 between the extended arms of the gear frame. The shifting-head is provided with arms, 22, which inclose the shaft 12 and freely engage opposite sides of the friction-wheel 17, the

face of which engages a. friction-disk, 23, 1 0

broadly,

e material, 'all ofthe supporting legs; and, a bushing, 26,.

carried upon a horizontal shaft, 24, journaled in a bearing, 25, mounted upon one of the bushing may be kept in close engagement with the hub of the disk 23, and thus insure coiiperation of the two friction members. i

The shaft 24 protrudes through the leg supporting it and carries on its outer end a fixed pulley, 28, for belt connection with any suitable source of power. In the form selected for illustration, however, the power is derived from an electric motor, 29, mounted upon a platform,30, carried by-the crossmembers 10. The motor shaft carries a pinion, 31, intermeshed with a spur-gear, 32, fixed upon the shaft 24. p

The preferred controlling means consists of a'lever, 33, fulcrumed at one end, as at 34,

- to one of the legs and'off-set near its center to pass I the transmission members. The lever is secured to the shifting-head 20 by'a bolt, 35, inclosed by a longitudinal slot in the lever to permit oscillation of the latter,

the inner end of which is bifurcated to receive the inner end of; an arm, 36, and is longitudinally slotted to inclose a bolt, 37,

extending laterally through the arm. The

said arm terminates in a collar, 38, secured upon the lower end of-an upright rod, 39, free to move longitudinally within a hearing, 40, secured upon a leg, 9, having a portion, 41, extending upwardly adjacent the tub and upon which is mounted a rack, 42, disposed in parallelism to the adjacent rod. To the upper-end of the rod is secured a lateral handle, 43, having a flange, 44, which travels intermediate the rack and tub. A lever-grip, 45, carriea by the handle, controls a pawl, 46, which normally engages the rack.

Across the top of the tub extends a crossbrace, 47, formed integrally with an intermediate brace, 48. An opening, 49, is provided in the former member to receive the upper end of the upright shaft, 12, and prevent lateral movement thereof. The portion of the shaft 12 in the lower part of the tub is threaded and carries a spider, 50, 'in threaded engagement therewith and supporting a tub, 51, having a perforated periphery and firmly secured upon the said spider.

'Within the tub and coaxial therewith is a comically-shaped tube, 52, having a perforated periphery and firmly secured to the bottom of said tub. The bottom of the inner tub is cut out within the cone. The upper end-of the cone is secured to a collar, 53,. vfreely encircling the shaft 12.

On the inner-periphery of the outer tub dare secured helically-inclined guide vanes,

54; and the bottom of the said tub is equipped with scroll-shape'd guide vanes, 55, which approach the, center from the The fixed tub isprovided with a cover,

the cleansing process is performed in thelower portion of the outer tub, it is clear that rotation of the threaded shaft must not be in a direction to raise the inner tub. As the tub is rotated the cleansing fluid is forced outwardly by centrifugal force through the virtue of the side and bottom guide veins, is whirled downwardly and inwardly where it is received Within and thrown radially from the perforated cone. A constant circulation of the fluid through the clothes is thus produced, the pressure varying accord-' ing as the speed of the tub. The cleansing process being completed, the controlling lever is operated to rotate the threaded shaft in theopposite direction whereby the inner tub will be raised until the supporting spider reaches the top of the threaded portion of the shaft, in which position the innerperforations of the revolving tub and, by

periphery in curves of gradually decreasing-radii.

.56, half of which is fixed and the opposite tub is above the'level of the fluid and is erably a brake consisting of a pushrod, 58,

penetrating the outer tub and carrying on its inner end a friction-roller, 59, positioned to engage the revolving tub and held normally in spaced relation thereto by a compression spring, '60, interposed between the outer tub and the head of thepush-rod.

Although the device of my invention finds its greatest employment in laundrying with soap and water, still its advantages as a dry cleaner are readily apparent, particularly inasmuch as the goods are both cleaned and dried before removal from the machine, thus conserving the gasolene.

Since the more particular feature of the invention, which I desire to protect broadlyherein, resides in an embodiment wherein the cleansing is performed in the lower por; tion of a fluid-retaining structure, and the wringing in the upper portion, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific cleansing mechanism presented.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

' 1. In a machine of the class described an upright cylindrical easing, a pervious member rotatable coanially therewithin and movable to and between upper and lower positions therein, and means for rotating and moving said pervious member to and between said positions.

2. In a machine of the class described a fluid-retaining member; a threaded shaft rotatably mounted therein; a pervious member mounted in threaded engagement upon said shaft, said pervious member being adapted to receive material to be cleansed and movable, by rotation of said shaft, to and between upper and lower positions in said fluid-retaining member; means for cleansing the material; and means for rotating said shaft whereby the pervious membar is raised and revolved above the level of the cleansing fluid.

3. In a machine of the class described an upright cylindrical fluid-retaining casing;

and means a threaded shaft mounted rotatably and coaxially therein; a tub having a central bottom opening, a pervious periphery and a pervious tube inclosing said opening; a threaded connection between said shaft and tub; means for rotating said shaft whereby the tub is revolved in the lower portion of the casing; means for guiding the fluid downwardly and inwardly of the casing; for reversing the direction of rotation of said shaft whereby the tub is raised and revolved above the level of the fluid.

4. The combination with an outer upright tub having guide. vanes on the inner periphery and bottom thereof and an inner pervious tub, of an upright threaded shaft mounted rotatably within and encircled by said tubs; a threaded connection between said-tub and shaft; and reversible means for rotating said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CALVIN J. SHIMER. Witnesses.

MILTON S. CRANDALL,- Geo. M. KnLLoeo, Jr. 

